The league plans to add a team soon.
Is Cleveland getting a Women’s National Basketball Association franchise within a matter of a few weeks? According to published reports, Cleveland should be getting a team sometime in March. The WNBA Commissioner Cathy Englebert said the league wanted a 16th franchise and if the reports are correct, the National Basketball Association’s Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert will be paying around a quarter of a billion dollars to get the 16th WNBA franchise. The WNBA sold an expansion franchise to a San Francisco group for $50 million and an expansion franchise to a Toronto group for $115 million US. Gilbert has apparently won the expansion sweepstakes over potential owners in 12 other markets including St Louis, Kansas City, Austin, Jacksonville, Nashville, Philadelphia, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Denver, Charlotte and Milwaukee.
But there could be a consolation prize and not a parting gift for two of the also rans. The WNBA could go beyond 16 teams and add two more teams by 2030 after the apparent Cleveland expansion announcement. That means potential investors in places such as Philadelphia, Houston, Nashville, Detroit and Miami might get a second chance at landing a franchise. The WNBA’s 16th franchise is scheduled to begin play in 2028. Cleveland once hosted a WNBA franchise. In fact Cleveland was part of the original WNBA rollout in 1997. The team was named the Cleveland Rockers in a nod to Cleveland being the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The franchise folded after the 2003 season because of poor attendance and a lack of a sustainable revenue stream. The WNBA has been in an expansion mode over the past few years putting franchises in San Francisco and in Toronto. The San Francisco franchise will start play later this year and Toronto ‘s team makes its debut in 2026. The WNBA season begins in May.
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